D. Heilman Astrophotography

IC410 - Tadpole Nebula

Found 12,000 ly away in the constellation of Auriga (the charioteer) IC410, commonly referred to as the Tadpole Nebula, has yielded a prominent star cluster at its core (NGC1893) whose stellar winds have swept back and irradiated the greater gas cloud of the nebula over 100 light years across. The cluster has an estimated age of only 4 million years. Areas of gas that are more densely associated are able to withstand the onslaught of stellar radiation leaving behind globules with tails trailing away from the cluster - the noteworthy "tadpoles" of the nebula. These likely harbor star-forming regions and will eventually give rise to another generation of stars. The tadpoles are estimated to be over 10 ly in length.